This invention relates to small aquariums such as would be used in a home or office. Applicant has been in the business of designing and selling aquariums for many years and has observed that there are a number of disadvantages to the usual small aquarium. One such problem is that when the tank has a top covering a substantial part of the surface of the water, minerals in the water tend, over time, to become deposited on the lower surface of the top as a result of condensation. This, of course is unsightly and interferes with viewing fish in the tank from the top.
Since most such tanks are sold with glass sides and bottom and the parts sealed together, one purchasing the tank usually has no practical choice but to hang the filter on the side of the tank, part of which extends into the water. Many owners would prefer to place the tank on a stand with the filter concealed in the stand under the tank. Where the tank has a glass bottom panel, it is beyond the capability of the average owner to drill and seal holes in the glass bottom for connection of pipes or hoses to a filter.
Most such aquariums include some lamp or lighting means to illuminate the tank so that fish in the tank and their movements are readily visible. Such lighting means is preferably of relatively low wattage rating to minimize power consumption and to avoid generating excessive heat. It therefore should be placed reasonably close to the surface of the water in the tank. This creates a risk that the electrical connections may be shorted as a result of contact with water in the tank or that the bulbs or lenses may become coated with minerals from direct contact with water or from condensation. There is also concern about possible liability claims which could result from people attempting to change a lamp or otherwise work with a lighting fixture and who might receive electrical burns or shocks or other injury as a result of the fixture coming into contact with the water in the tank.